As someone who has played with APRS for a number of years, but due to a
deployment got rusty while the technology outpaced me, I'd like to know if
there is a "Cliff's Notes" FAQ of current recommended practices. Something
that says, if you're running a mobile, here are the recommended settings.
Same for portables, base, weather, etc. Obviously this material would be
very time sensitive, so last year's FAQs wouldn't be very relevant.
APRS is such a neat mode and we've only scratched the surface.
By the way - there are some great discussions on this list.
73,
Steve KE8YN
-----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]
On Behalf Of aprssig-request at lists.tapr.org
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 8:00 AM
To: aprssig at lists.tapr.org
Subject: aprssig Digest, Vol 48, Issue 19
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When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of aprssig digest..."
Today's Topics:
1. Re: Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish? (Jon K Hellan)
2. Re: Police-9/10 station (Robert Bruninga)
3. Re: Police-9/10 station (Doug Ferrell)
4. Re: Police-9/10 station (Doug Ferrell)
5. South/central virginia and Tennessee (Robert Bruninga)
6. Re: Police-9/10 station (Charles Doughtie)
7. Re: Police-9/10 station (Pierre Thibaudeau)
8. Re: South/central virginia and Tennessee (Stephen - K1LNX)
9. Re: Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish? (Robert Bruninga)
10. Re: Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish? (Don Moore)
11. Re: South/central virginia and Tennessee (Stephen - K1LNX)
12. Re: Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish? (Robert Bruninga)
13. Re: South/central virginia and Tennessee (Robert Bruninga)
14. Re: Police-9/10 station (Robert Bruninga)
15. Re: Police-9/10 station (Pierre Thibaudeau)
16. Re: Police-9/10 station (Joseph M. Durnal)
17. Re: Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish? (Rich Garcia)
18. Xastir's best kept secret (Wes Johnston, AI4PX)
19. Re: Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish? (Greg D.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:00:45 +0200
From: Jon K Hellan <hellan at acm.org>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <485A4A6D.9040009 at acm.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Dave Baxter wrote:
> The other known name for all this kit is "VSAT" Or, Very Small Aperture
Terminal in satcom circles.
In that case: come to Norway, have fun! VSAT terminals have a Part 15
like (unlicensed) status here, for radiated power up to 80 dBW eirp. 80
dBW corresponds to a kW from a 50 dBi antenna, or any other combination
you fancy. I think you are supposed to aim at the satellites, but you
may be unlucky and miss.
73
LA4RT Jon
http://www.npt.no/pt_internet/eng/news/060603/index.html
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:23:39 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Police-9/10 station
To: "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <BB2C1BDA5B3D4B51863BD3CB06BAB739 at ewlab.usna.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Anyone know anything about this?
> Looks like a rogue mobile on RF...
> It came through our area about 4 days ago....
>http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?police-9
That was my POLICE object. I was driving down I-81 and saw a
police car parked in the bushes. I keep my PM-5 in my Kenwood
programmed with the POLICE-9 object name and the POLICE symbol.
My text is supposed to say "de wb4apr" but it appears that maybe
I did not have status set to 1/1 so that is included on all my
packets. I'll have to check that.
It is trivial to mark such objects as you drive if you have
preset a PM with the object name and info. Just press PM-5,
then hit BCON button once or twice until you see it digipeated,
then go back to normal operations on PM-1. Meanwhile everyone
nearby sees the object.
APRS is all about INFO, not just vehicle tracking. If we have
info of value to others in the area, we should take the
initiative to transmit it.
Bob, WB4APR
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:38:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Doug Ferrell <kd4moj at kd4moj.org>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Police-9/10 station
To: bruninga at usna.edu, TAPR APRS Mailing List <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID:
<Pine.LNX.4.21.0806191133560.2679-100000 at www.ferrellsecurity.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Thu, 19 Jun 2008, Robert Bruninga wrote:
>> APRS is all about INFO, not just vehicle tracking. If we have
> info of value to others in the area, we should take the
> initiative to transmit it.
I usually post lcoal traffic crashes that tie up traffic since I can see
(and hear) in real time where they are. Definatelyl helps local aprs'ers
avoide the area. Sometime I do post the radar traps when LEO's run radar
in places they shound't (like down a hill in a 35mph zone! - you can
coast faster than that!!!)
Like you said bob, more that just vehicle positions!
--
...DOUG
KD4MOJ
Tallahassee, FL
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:44:30 -0400 (EDT)
From: Doug Ferrell <kd4moj at kd4moj.org>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Police-9/10 station
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID:
<Pine.LNX.4.21.0806191144050.3217-100000 at www.ferrellsecurity.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
I should spell check before I send replies....
--
...DOUG
KD4MOJ
Tallahassee, FL
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:45:23 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu>
Subject: [aprssig] South/central virginia and Tennessee
To: "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <41E3EFD805094695AA467D24DA1D3B8B at ewlab.usna.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Looks like a rogue mobile on RF...
> It came through our area about 4 days ago....
Stephen, ah, glad to find someone in the area. I hope I can
enlist you to incite some progress on the digipeatrs in the
area.
I was disappointed during my 300 mile drive along I-81
surrounded by digipeaters on mountains on both sides for 5 hours
not to ever see once, a recommended voice repeater object show
up on my APRS radio. I appologize if there was one and I missed
it. But the digipeaters in that area are missing a great
opportunity to the amateur radio mobile public.
Every APRS digipeater is responsible for 3 things:
1) Digipeating local actiivty
2) Announcing its New-N capabilities
3) Transmitting the locally recommended VOICE repeater FREQUENCY
object for mobiles in its immediate footprint.
Bottom line. APRS is an INFO distribution system! If a mobile
is in range of ANY APRS digipeater, then his APRS system should
show three things:
1) Packets from all local activity
2) Information on the digi's capabilities
3) The recommended Voice Frequency in that immediate area.
I ask that all digipeater owners in the country get motivated to
complete this third aspect of the New-N paradigm. Please read
all about it. Just Google the words "APRS localinfo" without
the quotes.
I think Eastern Tenessee was also rather bleak and there is no
New-N support through Knoxville I think. Here are my recent
tracks. If anyone knows how to get a different scale eeastern
USA map from FINDU, let me know. All I can find is the USA map.
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/track.cgi?call=wb4apr-9&geo=usa.geo
&start=1000
On that link you can see the gaps around Knoxville and Eastern
Ohio. We need to educate the country that although RF APRS is a
purely 100% local RF system, that it does have responsibility to
transitent mobiles as part of a national system.
Clubs (even without any APRS members) should be embarassed to
have their area be a black hole to the motoring amateur radio
public.
Can we build up a map of black holes and appeal to the national
ham radio community to fill them even if they don't use APRS?
That is why I feel that integrating LOCAL voice freqeucny info
on APRS is so important. It makes the local ham (non-aprs)
aware of APRS every time an APRS use comes up on a visiting
repeater and says "I saw your repeater on APRS, thought I'd
check in..." That may be the first visiting mobile to check in
to that repeater in a week! So many of them have PL's that
without this local info LIVE, it is hard to visit these days...
Thanks, Bob, WB4APR
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:54:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Charles Doughtie <n5exy at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Police-9/10 station
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <689378.2085.qm at web53009.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
--- On Thu, 6/19/08, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
> That was my POLICE object. I was driving down I-81 and saw
> a
> police car parked in the bushes.
> trim <
> APRS is all about INFO, not just vehicle tracking. If we
> have
> info of value to others in the area, we should take the
> initiative to transmit it.
Ok, I'll ask. What is the "info of value" about a police car
parked in the bushes? An accident, road construction, or any
such type of traffic delay would be notable. This notice can
only add to the clutter to be ignored like a billboard along
the roadside, imho.
de Charlie, n5exy
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:10:32 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pierre Thibaudeau <ve2prt at sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Police-9/10 station
To: Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu>
Cc: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List' <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <BAYC1-PASMTP144611DD8F1D4CC6347046F4AA0 at CEZ.ICE>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Today, 11:23 -0400, Robert Bruninga wrote:
> That was my POLICE object. I was driving down I-81 and saw a
> police car parked in the bushes. I keep my PM-5 in my Kenwood
> programmed with the POLICE-9 object name and the POLICE symbol.
> My text is supposed to say "de wb4apr" but it appears that maybe
> I did not have status set to 1/1 so that is included on all my
> packets. I'll have to check that.
Bob,
Correct me if I am wrong, but I would have expected an "object" type of
message to look like:
WB4APR>[routing info]:;POLICE-9 *[time][position]
'73 - Pierre
__
Pierre Thibaudeau
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:20:24 -0400
From: "Stephen - K1LNX" <k1lnx at k1lnx.net>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] South/central virginia and Tennessee
To: bruninga at usna.edu, "TAPR APRS Mailing List"
<aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID:
<8390870f0806190920oc213c16j9a4c0e4bfc4d31f3 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Bob,
Your preaching to the choir. (warning: soapbox comments to follow)
I have tried unsuccesfully to get the digi owners/operators in upper
East TN/Southwest VA to follow the new N paradigm, and have tried to
understand the way they have it set up now. To my knowledge, we only
have 1 fully N compliant digi here (I can't speak for Knoxville, they
do seem to be more compliant then we are here however based on my
observations). I'm not sure what the problem is with getting them
changed, could be lack of manpower, equipment limitations, time, or
resistance to change.
Before I go off on too much of a tirade, there are a couple of
assumptions I have that I believe add to part of the problem here:
1. High level digipeaters (mountaintop) should not respond to Wide1-1,
that is what fill ins are for? We have several that respond to it....
2. Repeater objects. I plan on implementing this myself on a fill-in
digi, not the standard I know, but better than nothing. I am
considering a 2 hop path to blanket the area. I will be setting up a
simplex IRLP/Echolink node soon on 440 that I will be beaconing as
well. Ideally I think just one high level digi should implement this
for the repeater that is used most often in this area.
I've been using APRS for two years now and I still can not understand
my local network. My gripe is that their have been standards put into
place that have been suggested for use and they aren't. It makes it
difficult for end users such as myself to figure out the "best path"
to get a packet out.
</soapbox off>
How can I as a user make APRS better in my area? I encourage everyone
I know that uses APRS to run the suggested settings, but I still feel
like it's a constant uphill battle.....
73
Stephen
K1LNX
On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 11:45 AM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
>> Looks like a rogue mobile on RF...
>> It came through our area about 4 days ago....
>> Stephen, ah, glad to find someone in the area. I hope I can
> enlist you to incite some progress on the digipeatrs in the
> area.
>> I was disappointed during my 300 mile drive along I-81
> surrounded by digipeaters on mountains on both sides for 5 hours
> not to ever see once, a recommended voice repeater object show
> up on my APRS radio. I appologize if there was one and I missed
> it. But the digipeaters in that area are missing a great
> opportunity to the amateur radio mobile public.
>> Every APRS digipeater is responsible for 3 things:
> 1) Digipeating local actiivty
> 2) Announcing its New-N capabilities
> 3) Transmitting the locally recommended VOICE repeater FREQUENCY
> object for mobiles in its immediate footprint.
>> Bottom line. APRS is an INFO distribution system! If a mobile
> is in range of ANY APRS digipeater, then his APRS system should
> show three things:
> 1) Packets from all local activity
> 2) Information on the digi's capabilities
> 3) The recommended Voice Frequency in that immediate area.
>> I ask that all digipeater owners in the country get motivated to
> complete this third aspect of the New-N paradigm. Please read
> all about it. Just Google the words "APRS localinfo" without
> the quotes.
>> I think Eastern Tenessee was also rather bleak and there is no
> New-N support through Knoxville I think. Here are my recent
> tracks. If anyone knows how to get a different scale eeastern
> USA map from FINDU, let me know. All I can find is the USA map.
>>http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/track.cgi?call=wb4apr-9&geo=usa.geo> &start=1000
>> On that link you can see the gaps around Knoxville and Eastern
> Ohio. We need to educate the country that although RF APRS is a
> purely 100% local RF system, that it does have responsibility to
> transitent mobiles as part of a national system.
>> Clubs (even without any APRS members) should be embarassed to
> have their area be a black hole to the motoring amateur radio
> public.
>> Can we build up a map of black holes and appeal to the national
> ham radio community to fill them even if they don't use APRS?
> That is why I feel that integrating LOCAL voice freqeucny info
> on APRS is so important. It makes the local ham (non-aprs)
> aware of APRS every time an APRS use comes up on a visiting
> repeater and says "I saw your repeater on APRS, thought I'd
> check in..." That may be the first visiting mobile to check in
> to that repeater in a week! So many of them have PL's that
> without this local info LIVE, it is hard to visit these days...
>> Thanks, Bob, WB4APR
>>> _______________________________________________
> aprssig mailing list
>aprssig at lists.tapr.org>https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig>
--
Stephen Brown - ARS K1LNX
Johnson City, TN EM86uh
http://www.k1lnx.net
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:41:06 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
To: "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <00FBE5D9CF4447598D1AA01F0870F265 at ewlab.usna.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> We're shutting down an office and there's a
> surplus 1.2 meter Ku-band HughesNet dish on
> the roof. Is there anything interesting
> that can be done with it in the ham world...
We use the little $60 wireless cameras at 2.4 GHz and get about
600' range with a 9v battery and stock 1" whip antenna.
By using a 18" dish on receive, we extend the range to a mile.
With an 18" dish at the camera also, you could get well over 4
miles! We use these in demonstrating links in our satellite
lab.
A 1 meter dish could extend this to 8 miles or with one on both
ends, to 16 miles. Not bad for a lincense free Amateur
Television link that cost only $60 for the TX and RX and
everything you need but the dishes, which can be found in the
trash.
Bob, Wb4APR
------------------------------
Message: 10
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 11:47:08 -0500
From: "Don Moore" <DonM at jobpointmo.org>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
To: <bruninga at usna.edu>, "TAPR APRS Mailing List"
<aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID:
<017DBD7FD2AEF84DADF4B03CE2D8DD6FF7D977 at dorme.advent.local>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>We use the little $60 wireless cameras at 2.4 GHz and get about
>600' range with a 9v battery and stock 1" whip antenna.
Do you have a link to some specs on this wireless camera, or at least a
manufacturer and model number? Please... :)
Thanks!
Don M. - KM?R
------------------------------
Message: 11
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:32:32 -0400
From: "Stephen - K1LNX" <k1lnx at k1lnx.net>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] South/central virginia and Tennessee
To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID:
<8390870f0806191032n59878b3u5b22bf55b067f381 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
"If this is the change you are talking about, I can see why they'd
resist! grin."
No, that's only a small part of the problem I suspect. It could be my
own ignorance getting in the way, which I'll freely admit! :P
I just have trouble understanding why packets flow the way they do
around here, perhaps I am not seeing the whole picture..... Maybe
things are working correctly and I have a wrong assumption as to how I
think they should work?
On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 1:19 PM, Wes Johnston <johnstonwes at gmail.com> wrote:
> High level digi's SHOULD respond to Wn-n to include w1-1. The low level
> digis should ONLY respond to w1-1. If this is the change you are talking
> about, I can see why they'd resist! grin.
>> Wes
>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen - K1LNX" <k1lnx at k1lnx.net>
> To: <bruninga at usna.edu>; "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
> Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 12:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [aprssig] South/central virginia and Tennessee
>>>> Bob,
>> Your preaching to the choir. (warning: soapbox comments to follow)
>>>> I have tried unsuccesfully to get the digi owners/operators in upper
>> East TN/Southwest VA to follow the new N paradigm, and have tried to
>> understand the way they have it set up now. To my knowledge, we only
>> have 1 fully N compliant digi here (I can't speak for Knoxville, they
>> do seem to be more compliant then we are here however based on my
>> observations). I'm not sure what the problem is with getting them
>> changed, could be lack of manpower, equipment limitations, time, or
>> resistance to change.
>>>> Before I go off on too much of a tirade, there are a couple of
>> assumptions I have that I believe add to part of the problem here:
>>>> 1. High level digipeaters (mountaintop) should not respond to Wide1-1,
>> that is what fill ins are for? We have several that respond to it....
>> 2. Repeater objects. I plan on implementing this myself on a fill-in
>> digi, not the standard I know, but better than nothing. I am
>> considering a 2 hop path to blanket the area. I will be setting up a
>> simplex IRLP/Echolink node soon on 440 that I will be beaconing as
>> well. Ideally I think just one high level digi should implement this
>> for the repeater that is used most often in this area.
>>>> I've been using APRS for two years now and I still can not understand
>> my local network. My gripe is that their have been standards put into
>> place that have been suggested for use and they aren't. It makes it
>> difficult for end users such as myself to figure out the "best path"
>> to get a packet out.
>>>> </soapbox off>
>>>> How can I as a user make APRS better in my area? I encourage everyone
>> I know that uses APRS to run the suggested settings, but I still feel
>> like it's a constant uphill battle.....
>>>> 73
>> Stephen
>> K1LNX
>>>> On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 11:45 AM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu>
>> wrote:
>>>>>>>> Looks like a rogue mobile on RF...
>>>> It came through our area about 4 days ago....
>>>>>> Stephen, ah, glad to find someone in the area. I hope I can
>>> enlist you to incite some progress on the digipeatrs in the
>>> area.
>>>>>> I was disappointed during my 300 mile drive along I-81
>>> surrounded by digipeaters on mountains on both sides for 5 hours
>>> not to ever see once, a recommended voice repeater object show
>>> up on my APRS radio. I appologize if there was one and I missed
>>> it. But the digipeaters in that area are missing a great
>>> opportunity to the amateur radio mobile public.
>>>>>> Every APRS digipeater is responsible for 3 things:
>>> 1) Digipeating local actiivty
>>> 2) Announcing its New-N capabilities
>>> 3) Transmitting the locally recommended VOICE repeater FREQUENCY
>>> object for mobiles in its immediate footprint.
>>>>>> Bottom line. APRS is an INFO distribution system! If a mobile
>>> is in range of ANY APRS digipeater, then his APRS system should
>>> show three things:
>>> 1) Packets from all local activity
>>> 2) Information on the digi's capabilities
>>> 3) The recommended Voice Frequency in that immediate area.
>>>>>> I ask that all digipeater owners in the country get motivated to
>>> complete this third aspect of the New-N paradigm. Please read
>>> all about it. Just Google the words "APRS localinfo" without
>>> the quotes.
>>>>>> I think Eastern Tenessee was also rather bleak and there is no
>>> New-N support through Knoxville I think. Here are my recent
>>> tracks. If anyone knows how to get a different scale eeastern
>>> USA map from FINDU, let me know. All I can find is the USA map.
>>>>>>http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/track.cgi?call=wb4apr-9&geo=usa.geo>>> &start=1000
>>>>>> On that link you can see the gaps around Knoxville and Eastern
>>> Ohio. We need to educate the country that although RF APRS is a
>>> purely 100% local RF system, that it does have responsibility to
>>> transitent mobiles as part of a national system.
>>>>>> Clubs (even without any APRS members) should be embarassed to
>>> have their area be a black hole to the motoring amateur radio
>>> public.
>>>>>> Can we build up a map of black holes and appeal to the national
>>> ham radio community to fill them even if they don't use APRS?
>>> That is why I feel that integrating LOCAL voice freqeucny info
>>> on APRS is so important. It makes the local ham (non-aprs)
>>> aware of APRS every time an APRS use comes up on a visiting
>>> repeater and says "I saw your repeater on APRS, thought I'd
>>> check in..." That may be the first visiting mobile to check in
>>> to that repeater in a week! So many of them have PL's that
>>> without this local info LIVE, it is hard to visit these days...
>>>>>> Thanks, Bob, WB4APR
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>> aprssig mailing list
>>>aprssig at lists.tapr.org>>>https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig>>>>>>>>>>> --
>> Stephen Brown - ARS K1LNX
>> Johnson City, TN EM86uh
>>http://www.k1lnx.net>>>> _______________________________________________
>> aprssig mailing list
>>aprssig at lists.tapr.org>>https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig>>>>
--
Stephen Brown - ARS K1LNX
Johnson City, TN EM86uh
http://www.k1lnx.net
------------------------------
Message: 12
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:46:14 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
To: "'Don Moore'" <DonM at jobpointmo.org>, "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'"
<aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <6A83B1DFE6174DDA9381B29447459BCD at ewlab.usna.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Do you have a link to some specs on this wireless camera, or
> at least a manufacturer and model number? Please... :)
No, they change very week. Just google for wireless cameras and
they are flooding in from China. For $75 or so, you should get
the camera, 2.4 GHz TX, and 2.4 Ghz receiver. Everything you
need for a microwave ATV link.
There are only 4 channels, and usually the receivers are 4
channle receivers. To get 8 freqs for our 8 lab stations, we
also found some 1.2 GHz cameras for a while , before the FCC
apparently cut them off at the borders...
Bob, Wb4aPR
------------------------------
Message: 13
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:03:00 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] South/central virginia and Tennessee
To: "'Stephen - K1LNX'" <k1lnx at k1lnx.net>, "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'"
<aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <8C27BF2F36E045498D2AFA37762D86AC at ewlab.usna.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
Thanks for the reply and I am excited to see your interest in
APRS. Let me make a few comoments if I may...
> 1. High level digipeaters (mountaintop) should
> not respond to Wide1-1, that is what fill ins are for?
Actually, every digi has to respond to WIDE1-1, since it is very
rare for a mobile to be in range of one. All the rest of the
time, the mobile is in range of a big wide and so all of the big
wides also have to respond to WIDE1-1 too. This is not a
problem, since the big digi will respond first and if there is a
second copy coming in from a local fill-in WIDE1-1, then that
second copy will be ignored.
This is the #1 advantage of the New-N paradigm. With the old
RELAY,WIDEn-N system, the second copy arrived as DIGI1,WIDEn-N
and got duplicated all along the paths multiple times by every
digi. This multipled the DUPE problem sometime 3 to 5 times the
level of QRM.
> 2. Repeater objects. I plan on implementing this myself on
> a fill-in digi, not the standard I know, but better than
> nothing. I am considering a 2 hop path to blanket the area.
Thanks for your efforts, but that is actually not a good thing
to do. That causes your object to be SPAM over all kinds of
areas where the voice repeater cannot possibly be worked in all
that area. I'd much rather not see any voice repeater, then to
see frequenceis, and go to the effort of tuning them in, only to
find that I cannot work them.
Again, keep that object DIRECT. Unless you can convince
yourself that with ONE hop, that everyone in the footprint of
ALL surrounding digis can somehow hit that voice repeater from
everywhere in their footprints. It is impossible for any voice
repeater to cover the area of 2 hops in all directions that a
normal packet takes. SO 2 hops should never-ever be used. That
is why we strongly discourage any local frequency objects form
home stations (that are usually set to 2 hops).
The other reason why we don't want objects from home stations is
because they QRM the channel. The only place for these objects
is to be originated AT the digis. Because only the digis can
hear everything in the area, and only TX the object when the
local channel is clear.
> I will be setting up a simplex IRLP/Echolink node
> soon on 440 that I will be beaconing as well.
This is great! Yes, put out that node object is perfect...
But still, only in the area where it can be hit.
> Ideally I think just one high level digi should implement this
> for the repeater that is used most often in this area.
Yep, that is the idea:
1) Every digi has a coverage area.
2) The DIGI must inform its users in that area of the frequency
3) The frequency should not become SPAM in any other areas.
> It makes it difficult for end users such as myself to
> figure out the "best path" to get a packet out.
Yep, and that is why we began 4 years ago to eliminate all paths
but one. WIDE2-2 should work everyhwere. (or WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1
for mobiles), but some areas just have not made the change... To
simp0lify it for everyone.
> How can I as a user make APRS better in my area? I encourage
everyone
> I know that uses APRS to run the suggested settings, but I
still feel
> like it's a constant uphill battle.....
Welcome to the crusade!
Bob, Wb4APR
> On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 11:45 AM, Robert Bruninga
> <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
> >> Looks like a rogue mobile on RF...
> >> It came through our area about 4 days ago....
> >
> > Stephen, ah, glad to find someone in the area. I hope I can
> > enlist you to incite some progress on the digipeatrs in the
> > area.
> >
> > I was disappointed during my 300 mile drive along I-81
> > surrounded by digipeaters on mountains on both sides for 5
hours
> > not to ever see once, a recommended voice repeater object
show
> > up on my APRS radio. I appologize if there was one and I
missed
> > it. But the digipeaters in that area are missing a great
> > opportunity to the amateur radio mobile public.
> >
> > Every APRS digipeater is responsible for 3 things:
> > 1) Digipeating local actiivty
> > 2) Announcing its New-N capabilities
> > 3) Transmitting the locally recommended VOICE repeater
FREQUENCY
> > object for mobiles in its immediate footprint.
> >
> > Bottom line. APRS is an INFO distribution system! If a
mobile
> > is in range of ANY APRS digipeater, then his APRS system
should
> > show three things:
> > 1) Packets from all local activity
> > 2) Information on the digi's capabilities
> > 3) The recommended Voice Frequency in that immediate area.
> >
> > I ask that all digipeater owners in the country get
motivated to
> > complete this third aspect of the New-N paradigm. Please
read
> > all about it. Just Google the words "APRS localinfo"
without
> > the quotes.
> >
> > I think Eastern Tenessee was also rather bleak and there is
no
> > New-N support through Knoxville I think. Here are my recent
> > tracks. If anyone knows how to get a different scale
eeastern
> > USA map from FINDU, let me know. All I can find is the USA
map.
> >
> >
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/track.cgi?call=wb4apr-9&geo=usa.geo
> > &start=1000
> >
> > On that link you can see the gaps around Knoxville and
Eastern
> > Ohio. We need to educate the country that although RF APRS
is a
> > purely 100% local RF system, that it does have
responsibility to
> > transitent mobiles as part of a national system.
> >
> > Clubs (even without any APRS members) should be embarassed
to
> > have their area be a black hole to the motoring amateur
radio
> > public.
> >
> > Can we build up a map of black holes and appeal to the
national
> > ham radio community to fill them even if they don't use
APRS?
> > That is why I feel that integrating LOCAL voice freqeucny
info
> > on APRS is so important. It makes the local ham (non-aprs)
> > aware of APRS every time an APRS use comes up on a visiting
> > repeater and says "I saw your repeater on APRS, thought I'd
> > check in..." That may be the first visiting mobile to check
in
> > to that repeater in a week! So many of them have PL's that
> > without this local info LIVE, it is hard to visit these
days...
> >
> > Thanks, Bob, WB4APR
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > aprssig mailing list
> > aprssig at lists.tapr.org> > https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig> >
>>>> --
> Stephen Brown - ARS K1LNX
> Johnson City, TN EM86uh
>http://www.k1lnx.net>
------------------------------
Message: 14
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:13:00 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Police-9/10 station
To: "'Pierre Thibaudeau'" <ve2prt at sympatico.ca>
Cc: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List' <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <32E572C8EC8E4FBB99FAFA28F4010EE5 at ewlab.usna.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
> Correct me if I am wrong, but I would have
> expected an "object" type of message to look like:
>> WB4APR>[routing info]:;POLICE-9 *[time][position]
In the original APRS concept, there is no real distinction
between "stations", "objects" or anything you want to call
"something placed on the map" in APRS. Lets call them "things".
Now, "things" in APRS can be transmitted in many formats. The
most commmon were often called "stations" because they simply
used the CALLSIGN of their TNC to be the name of their "thing".
But since CALLSIGNS can only have 6 letters, we added a special
format that we called "objects" that allow "things" with up to 9
letters to be transmitted.
In the original APRS, these "things" no matter what their
format, or how they are received, are all treated equally. They
are all "things" to display on the map and stored the same way.
It was a big error in the writing of the APRS spec that it made
a distinction between stations and objects instead of realizing
that they are 100% interchangeable (except for the 6 or 9 letter
naming issue). And this is why many programs cannot display an
OBJECT with a weather station in it, or a moving DF object, or
an object mobving with DF info, or any other combination of the
two.
In this case, to transmit a "thing" in the Mic-E format used by
the kenwoods, one has to place the "thing's" name into the
callsign field, and then add one's ownership info in the text
part of the packet. People with mobile ARPS radios are usually
the first to see an incident or thing that needs reporting to
everyone else.
That is why mobile operators need to be familiar with how to
send such "things" from their radio while mobile.
APRS, its all about the INFO you transmit.
Hope that helps.
Bob, WB4APR
------------------------------
Message: 15
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:59:57 -0400 (EDT)
From: Pierre Thibaudeau <ve2prt at sympatico.ca>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Police-9/10 station
To: Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu>
Cc: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List' <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <BAYC1-PASMTP05A733670979CD63B52516F4AA0 at CEZ.ICE>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Today, 14:13 -0400, Robert Bruninga wrote:
> In this case, to transmit a "thing" in the Mic-E format used by
> the kenwoods, one has to place the "thing's" name into the
> callsign field, and then add one's ownership info in the text
> part of the packet. People with mobile ARPS radios are usually
> the first to see an incident or thing that needs reporting to
> everyone else.
I understand the limitations imposed by some setups.
One feature that I find "objects" useful for is the possibility to "kill"
them (";POLICE-9 _") so that it immediately disappears on everyone's
display when they are no longer relevant.
Yes, my view is biased by the fact that I do not do APRS without a
computer.
'73 - Pierre
__
Pierre Thibaudeau
------------------------------
Message: 16
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:03:44 -0400
From: "Joseph M. Durnal" <joseph.durnal at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Police-9/10 station
To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID:
<1fbe50e80806191203r53aa9437ma861bf6923ece9eb at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Police cars parked in the bushes tend to cause speeding folks to slam
on their breaks and drop to 10mph under the speed limit when folks see
them, creating a hazard for those of us driving along at the speed
limit that wouldn't ordinarily slow down just because there was a
police car.
73 de Joseph Durnal NE3R
On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 11:54 AM, Charles Doughtie <n5exy at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Ok, I'll ask. What is the "info of value" about a police car
> parked in the bushes? An accident, road construction, or any
> such type of traffic delay would be notable. This notice can
> only add to the clutter to be ignored like a billboard along
> the roadside, imho.
>> de Charlie, n5exy
------------------------------
Message: 17
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:00:04 -0400
From: Rich Garcia <k4gpsc at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <NHENJBPNILPOHFJBPEDMGEMMCPAA.k4gps at arrl.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Yes I am very interested myself! There is a lot of junk out there and I
don't want to be buying a bunch of them till' I find a good brand and then
buy several of those.
-----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
[mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]On Behalf Of Don Moore
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 12:47 PM
To: bruninga at usna.edu; TAPR APRS Mailing List
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
>We use the little $60 wireless cameras at 2.4 GHz and get about
>600' range with a 9v battery and stock 1" whip antenna.
Do you have a link to some specs on this wireless camera, or at least a
manufacturer and model number? Please... :)
Thanks!
Don M. - KM?R
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------------------------------
Message: 18
Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:26:54 -0400
From: "Wes Johnston, AI4PX" <wes at ai4px.com>
Subject: [aprssig] Xastir's best kept secret
To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID:
<a430b16b0806192126n666c9c41q303fb6e85aea69a6 at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I got andLinux xastir running within WinXP. This may be old hat to
the xastir bunch, but I just found out about this. Amazing what you learn
when you visit www.xastir.org .
A version of linux exists that is called andLinux . It's core component
was compiled to run under windows and when you run linux app's they
communicate with xwindows via a TCP port which is created during
the andLinux install process. The linux GUI windows actually use WinXP for
their desktop theme... they look just like a windows app, but they actually
communicate with linux via the aforementioned TCP port.
There is only one hitch in the installation. The linux installer APT-GET
uses a list of repositories which have changed locations. So you'll need to
edit the list of repositories before you can install xastir. I'll include
the instructions below.
And now..... The complete idiot's guide to installing xastir so it runs on a
WinXP machine.
Download this file:
ftp://hell.wh8.tu-dresden.de/pub/linux/distributions/andLinux/andLinuxPreBet
a.exe
it's a self exe zip file, I unzipped into c:\ (it will create a directory
structure called andLinuxprebeta for you).
shell to CMD from windows and go to the above folder.
run the run_to_install.bat file.
ignore ALL errors (even the scary looking ones about missing keys), press
CONTINUE when windows gripes about a network card installation driver.
Once you are back at prompt, you'll need to type cd .. to go back up one
tier to the andLinuxprebeta folder.
Run the startup.bat file. Answer windows questions about unblocking a port
via the firewall.... three times.
Wait 60 seconds according to the directions. I had to wait closer to 5
minutes. Apparently it takes a while to run the first time. Be patient.
Get a cup of coffee. You may notice a network icon near the windows clock
that shows a broken connection. It will go away, so don't fool with it.
Once things settle down, you'll see a task bar at the top of your screen.
Dead center, you can't miss it. Your coffee is probably much cooler than
when you started.
****************************************************************************
*******
At this point, linux is actually running as a background app under windows.
Now we need to prepare to install xastir.
****************************************************************************
*******
This is the part where you need to change the software repository locations
so you can install additional neat software. Ubuntu changed their
repository directory structure and you will have to catch-up the new URLs in
a txt file. Edit the /etc/apt/sources.list file. andLinux comes with a
pretty easy to use editor called nano.
Run terminal shell from this new command bar. It's the chalk board looking
icon on the left end.
type nano /etc/apt/sources.list <enter>. Use the arrow keys to navigate
over to the lines with URLs in them. Look for the word edgy and replace it
with the word dapper. Six times. Save the file by pressing cntrl-x and
nano will ask if you want to save it. Press Y and enter. You should be
back at the "dos" prompt.
apt-get update <enter>
apt-get install xastir <enter>
xastir & <enter> (yes, type the & too).
and you are done! Xastir will open as a relatively small window. Drag the
corners to make it larger. You won't have any maps installed but you can
select the tigermap from the mapchooser.
--
Wes
---
Where there's silence, there is no Hope.
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Message: 19
Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:38:31 -0700
From: Greg D. <ko6th_greg at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Message-ID: <BLU133-W95A3BD95F4F9F266D4B07A9A50 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi Dave,
Wow, I never thought of using the control box for anything other than its
power supply. Good idea!
Thanks,
Greg KO6TH
----------------------------------------
> Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2008 08:55:00 +0100
> From: Dave at emv.co.uk> To: aprssig at lists.tapr.org> Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
>> That looks much like (the receive LNB and dish at least) typical domestic
satellite TV stuff common in Europe, and much hacked. Check out various
modification websites that deal with European TV stuff. The LO is probably
a DRO (Dielectric Resonant Oscillator) I know they can be "tuned", but also
I hear that it is not that difficult to get alternative ceramic pucks, if
you know where/who to ask.
>> Many of the "receivers" or in your case the "control gear" can be made to
work on 23cms, as that posibly close to it's designed "IF" cable feed
anyway.
>> Check out the German microwave ham scene, they do "lots" of work with this
sort of stuff. There is a high speed (mega bytes/second) amateur data
network in parts of Europe, providing a packet "backbone" to much of eastern
Europe. From the little I know of it, much is based on converted kit much
like you have, running on 10GHz.
>> The other known name for all this kit is "VSAT" Or, Very Small Aperture
Terminal in satcom circles.
>> 73.
>> Dave G0WBX
>>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Greg D. [mailto:ko6th_greg at hotmail.com]
>> Sent: 18 June 2008 06:07
>> To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
>>>>>> Hi Scott, Stephen,
>>> .
> .
> .
>> Some pictures, below. Any additional hints would be appreciated!
>>>> The whole dish. Looking on the website, the new ones seem to
>> be round; hopefully, they haven't changed the electronics
>> part... http://home.wavecable.com/~ko6th/IMG_0115.JPG>>>> Side view of some of the plumbing.
>>http://home.wavecable.com/~ko6th/IMG_0123.JPG>>>> Outside of the LNB. http://home.wavecable.com/~ko6th/IMG_0131b.JPG>>>> Inside the LNB.
>>http://home.wavecable.com/~ko6th/IMG_0130b.JPG>>>> Transmit module.
>>http://home.wavecable.com/~ko6th/IMG_0132b.JPG>>>> So, I turn it back to you guys... What should I do with this?
>>>> Greg KO6TH
>>>>>>>>>> ----------------------------------------
>>> Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:18:00 -0700
>>> From: wa8lmf2 at aol.com>>> To: aprssig at lists.tapr.org>>> Subject: Re: [aprssig] Ham uses for a 1.2m Ku-band dish?
>>>>>> Scott Miller wrote:
>>>> We're shutting down an office and there's a surplus 1.2
>> meter Ku-band
>>>> HughesNet dish on the roof. Is there anything interesting
>> that can
>>>> be done with it in the ham world that'd justify breaking out the
>>>> rappelling gear to take it down? Not that I've ever
>> really needed a
>>>> good reason to acquire radio gear and/or rappel down buildings...
>>>>>>>> Scott
>>>> N1VG
>>>>>>>>>> It would make a seriously long-range WiFi antenna. Put a
>> waveguide
>>> "Cantenna" or a *Hawking **HWUG1 USB WiFi* "dongle" at it's focus.
>>> The
>>> HWUG1 (details at
>>> >
>>> is a very useful gadget for these kinds of applications.
>>>>>> 1) It comes with a half-wave "rubber duck" whip that is
>> removable,
>>> revealing a reverse-polarity SMA jack that lets you easily connect
>>> external gain antennas.
>>>>>> 2) Since the device is a USB-connected external radio, you can
>>> locate the transceiver at the antenna and connect it with just a
>>> few-inches-long cable pigtail, and run a USB cable back to the PC.
>>> Saves serious coax loss at 2.4 GHz.
>>>>>> 3) The device is so small and lightweight that you can
>> Velcro it to
>>> the back of antennas for quick lashups.
>>>>>> 4) The supporting control software produces an actual real-time
>>> analog RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator - i.e. "S-meter")
>>> display calibrated in actual dBM received, instead of the
>> usual crude
>>> cellphone-style 5-bar signal indicator that lags far behind actual
>>> signal changes. Makes it a LOT easier to aim, tweak and peak
>>> directional antennas.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
>>> EchoLink Node: 14400 [Think bottom of the 2M band]
>>> Home Page: http://wa8lmf.com --OR-- http://wa8lmf.net>>>>>> NEW! World Digipeater Map
>>>http://wa8lmf.net/APRSmaps>>>>>> JavAPRS Filter Port 14580 Guide
>>>http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/JAVaprsFilters.htm>>>>>> "APRS 101" Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
>>>http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths>>>>>> Updated "Rev H" APRS http://wa8lmf.net/aprs>>> Symbols Set for UI-View,
>>> UIpoint and APRSplus:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>> aprssig mailing list
>>>aprssig at lists.tapr.org>>>https://lists.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig>>>> _________________________________________________________________
>> The i'm Talkathon starts 6/24/08. For now, give amongst yourselves.
>>http://www.imtalkathon.com?source=TXT_EML_WLH_LearnMore_GiveAmongst>>>>> This mail has been scanned by Palmer Cook Computer Services Limited.
www.palmercook.co.uk
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